You CAN'T make me
by the.real.mrs.lautner
Summary: Hermione and Draco story, NO MARRIAGE LAW! HURRAH! Forced into an arranged marriage with a new, badass Hermione, Draco does a double take on his little mudblood.
1. Chapter 1: Mudblood

Author's note:  
**Hi, my name is Kat, and this is my first time writing a fanfic. I was inspired by the unusual pairing of Hermione and Draco, because I get why it's so enticing. It's a totally forbidden pairing but for the same reason, it's the most intriguing. And their polar opposite personalities make for great plot opportunities, if you know what I mean ;) Well okay enough stalling, I hope this intro hasn't put you off reading my first attempt at writing! **

This didn't start out with a marriage law. No, I was the _only _person being made to go through this. I thought I had grown, changed, and so many people said that I had. I looked in the mirror; same wild brown hair, same face. The buck teeth had gone, of course. But the girl staring back at me had the same slightly snooty air as ever. _Grace_, I remembered. In the beginning of the year, after I went on a year-long holiday, I joined Harry back at the Weasleys' and Mrs Weasley took one look at me and her eyes went wide.

"Hermione Granger, my darling, is that really you? You look so very graceful, dear me!" I remember smiling generously and returning her warm hug.

"Gosh, Mione you really have changed!" Harry said, his arm fast around Ginny's shoulders.

"Yes, the wonders a summer in the French Riviera can do for a girl." I smiled. Slogging it out, more like it. I had spent the year there because unbeknownst to many, one of the best healers resided there, and I had persuaded him to teach me. But he wasn't the only reason for being there. I would never admit this to anyone, but I went out of England to escape. From Ron.

"Ah, finally we're all here. Except Ronald of course. But we shan't dwell on that." Mrs Weasley moved on quickly. Everyone knew. Everyone knew that Ron and I were so close, so close to well, being…together. Like Ginny and Harry. But in the end, he left. He chose Lavender and left. And the whole Weasley family was there to comfort me. So to keep what little dignity I still had, I fled to the French Riviera to drown my sorrows in potions. And being a healer. I worked and worked until I went numb in the romance department. Work distracted me, and I found that life without romance wasn't so bad. I gave Mrs Weasley a sympathetic smile. I was all smiles that day, somehow.

But standing in front of the mirror in my modest little room of my modest little apartment, I didn't see the new grace and elegance that I had acquired after being a proper adult for a year, living away and all that. I saw the bushy brown hair. I saw the faint spatter of freckles. My image morphed into one from years ago. But this time, I didn't _not_ give a damn and then go read something. I stood in front of the mirror and called myself what I knew he would call me when I would meet him in just half an hour's time.

"Mudblood."

**Okay I hope you liked that, but change of plans, I'm going to write the next chapter and put it up here today too! I'd really appreciate some reviews to point out if everything's okay (or not). And yeah I know Draco isn't up there yet but he will be! Also, I know it's a little (ha) depressing but it will get spunky and stuff really soon okay, don't worry**


	2. Chapter 2: Blissful Ignorance

**Author's note: Okay, so in this chapter we'll be meeting… DRACOOOOO ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ okay my Draco (I like this sound of that, 'my' Draco!) is going to be snarky, light-hearted and cheeky, with a dark streak. Here goes nothing.**

**I have a confession to make-I haven't read all the books. In fact, the only book I've ever read in its entirety is Order of the Phoenix :s ARRGH I feel like such an impostor, writing a HP fanfic. BUT! This is fun, so I shall continue and try to make as few factual errors as possible. Please tell me if you spot anything weird. Which may be quite often :s**

**Also, big thanks to ****The-13th-Vampire and MissRainLover for your reviews! I'm so grateful (: I just have another request-CRITIQUE ME, ALL OF YOU. PLEASE. Ideas, complaints, gripes, anything. **

"Draco, man of the hour, finally you decide to grace us with your presence." Blaine announced. I had just come into the warmth of the club and I smiled wryly at Blaine as I took my gloves off and accepted the much-needed glass of whisky the barmaid offered me. This place was no leaky cauldron. It was a concept club of sorts, where rich pureblood sons came to unwind. I looked at the barmaid appreciatively and took note of her name, scrawled on a tag strategically placed to draw attention to her ample assets. Of course, although patrons regularly availed of the attractive young barmaids'…services, everything was done very discreetly. Heirs of powerful pureblood families did not associate with mudbloods, muggles, or even purebloods who were of unsavoury lineage.

"Blaine," I sat down at the mahogany table and set my glass down. "Come on, fill me in. That smirk tells me that you know something I don't."

"Do you remember a certain Hermione Granger?"

"What? That fuzzy-haired know-it-all? What could be remotely interesting about that little bookworm?" I started into my whiskey lazily.

"And have you heard of the Brunswick estate?" Blaine asked, completely ignoring me.

"Yes. Multi-million estate, a mountain of a fortune amassed by old man Brunswick, real estate magnate." I felt like a child, back in Hogwarts, reciting the ingredients for a potion.

"And are you aware that Ms Granger has been revealed as the heir apparent to the Brunswick fortune?" Blaine asked, the cheekiest of grins on his face. My head snapped up from my glass to his face.

"You're joking." I half-laughed. Blaine's smug looked stayed on his face.

"No, no Granger is a mudblood! How could she ever be a pureblood? A pureblood heir of a family like Brunswick, no less?"

"I had a little chat with that fruitcake Rita Skeeter, and it turns out that Granger isn't a mudblood at all. It's funny- there's big family drama behind all of this." Blaine leaned forward conspiratorially and I found myself doing the same. "Old man Brunswick had a son, you see, even before that twat Gideon. And it turns out that was Granger's beloved daddy. Mysteriously disappearing on the evening of his second birthday, Dr. Granger lost his magical powers and popped up in the muggle world, and lived like a muggle. And Granger's mum was a pureblood as well. A plain, unimpressive suburbian family, but pureblood, nonetheless. Sadly, they died in an accident while on holiday. With no remaining family and thought to be a squib, nobody wanted to adopt little Mrs. Granger, so they gave her away to the muggle world. A few years later, funny things started happening in the area she was living in, and the Ministry had to step in and take her powers away as well. Fast forward a few dozen years and here we have Hermione Granger, newly-discovered pureblood and now richest little witch in all of England." Blaine finished.

I felt quite breathless after that long chunk of Granger's family background. Family. That reminded me, my father. I suppose the expression on my face had changed immediately because Blaine noticed.

"Something the matter, mate?"

"It's my father again. He's getting more and more obsessed with our image." Blaine raised an eyebrow.

"No, I mean in terms of how everyone still regards us as, well, death eaters. And honestly, I don't see the issue here. Better to be feared than loved." I propped my ankle on my knee, leaning back into the comfortable plush armchair.

"Now, now Widdle Dwakey," Blaine cooed. "You know what Daddy Dearest means, don't you? We've all got to become muggle lovers and mudblood fans. And I know it sickens you, but what's there to be done?"

"What's really amusing though, is that he is absolutely determined to find some way we can show the wizarding world that we, the Malfoys, have completely joined the light. In fact, we're going to adopt a dozen mudblood children and raise them as our own. Oh, imagine the sounds of joy echoing throughout Malfoy Manor." I sat brooding like a child.

"Well mate, right now your father isn't here, but er, Daphne over there is." Blaine stared pointedly across the room. I turned my head to look and saw the reason for his darkly appreciative expression. Tall, blonde and wearing a short uniform as all the barmaids were, but this one had legs that went on for miles. Leggy blonde. My favourite.

"Why yes," I smirked, putting my glass down and rising from my seat. "Daphne." Wednesday nights could still be fun after all, I thought to myself.

I apparated into my room in Malfoy Manor and got the shock of my life.

"Father! Since when did you take up residence in my room?" I asked my father, who was sitting comfortably in an armchair next to the fireplace.

"I've been meaning to speak to you, son." He said calmly.

"Oh no. This can't be good." I moaned, smirking clumsily at the two images of my floating father.

"This afternoon, I was having lunch with a few business associates and a complete stranger came up to me and called me a death eater. To my face."

"Oh. Well father, would you like me to kiss it and make it all better? Why exactly are you telling me this?" I said, waving him off.

"I shall forgive you that particular offence because you are obviously intoxicated."

"Okay, daddy. Now if you don't mind, I need to sleep. Ta-ta, father." I said, dropping down on the bed face-down.

"Draco!" he boomed, using his most stern voice. I merely turned on to my back and opened one eye. "You have no idea how important it is to preserve our good name. I won't have people treating us like criminals," He snarled.

"So we're going to adopt some muggles, is that it?" I asked disinterestedly.

"Close." My father smirked.

"What?" I sat up, confused.

"If only I could find a mudblood to align our family with. Who was a pureblood."

"Good luck with that." I said, closing my eyes.

"I won't need it, son. I have already found her."


End file.
